Sonic 3: Censorship and Media Literacy

[@171QA]

He did use the gun at Sonic during the chase through Tokyo. He never uses it again for the rest of the film, but I digress.

[@AutumnJDiaz]

You’re right, I forgot. He unfortunately never killed a man which was how I was measuring

[@nguyenhuutrung3413]

​@@AutumnJDiaz Saying "...unfortunately never killed a man " when talking about a cartoon hedgehog sounds so dang unhinged you reminds me of SEGA back in 2005.

[@Solid_Snake98]

Shadow didn’t really need a gun, plus he never had one in SA2. That was only in the Shadow The Hedgehog video game. Which I despise.

[@alicesacco9329]

My issue is that he should have been left handed (shown in Shadow the Hedgehog, everything done with the left or in left handed way, including little gestures and rest poses. Sonic 2006, body language and handling. One of the Sonic Free Riders, funky hoverboard stance. Shadow dark beginnings during the fight against the GUN soldier and during the rescue scene.)

[@OriasRofocale]

Shadow dropped the gun during the chase with Sonic. He didn't have the chance to recover it or his motorcycle in Tokyo.

[@susciety6832]

i think the climax would have been 10x better if the fight between gerald and eggman was taken more seriously. as it is, the movie undermines the best scene with eggman getting spanked by a giant robot hand. imagine if gerald made an announcement to the world, similar to his last words in sa2. Also, it would have strengthened the idea that gerald is manipulating eggman by being goofy for most of the movie

[@duduvec5971]

I think that it was 10x better because gerald and eggman were that goofy specially since they are family and extremely egocentric. They are not fighters, they are creators so it only makes sense that they fight via creating cursed things to fight (they could realistically just nuked each other and end it with one interaction but they are not that dumb).

[@hopegalaxy]

Wow, what a missed opportunity.

[@dimitriwarchief301]

That’s true

[@lasercraft32]

It bothered me how the moon getting cut in half was turned into a literal joke. Seriously, why does nobody mention that? I thought the moon getting zapped was supposed to be a big deal, but not a single character acknowledges it afterwards and they don't follow up on it!

[@lasercraft32]

@@duduvec5971 I would not describe Jim Carrey's goofy antics to improve the movie in any way shape or form, let alone "10x better." :/

[@hopegalaxy]

The moment you realize Wade freaking Whipple held a real glock and almost killed Ivo Robotnik in the first movie...

[@Ryker.RevixVT]

He did use the gun during the chase tho? Sonic just kicks it out of his hand

[@tyforestreacts]

Honestly, I think what G.U.N. did in the movie was even MORE screwed up than what was in the games. Taken directly from a Tumblr post, but… 1: They make it clear that the military was trying to kill Maria. 2: The change from it being a direct shot to an explosion was probably to keep the rating low, but they WERE pointing guns at that 12yo. 3: Walters said "Those are children" and the soldier responded "We have our orders". They were killing that 12yo whether it was via bullet or boom. 4: Just because the bullet missed doesn’t mean it wasn’t aimed for her and Shadow. It was clear that the military killed Maria. Also, it means that they were knowingly trying to kill TWO children! Which is honestly even worse than in the games when they genuinely thought Shadow was just a biological weapon! In this one, they knew he was just a goofy teenager and they went to kill him anyway.

[@EpicKMetalSonic]

yeah because murdering every innocent scientist and their ENTIRE families who resided in the ark alongside them isn't darker than them killing ONE child (which they already did in the main canon) you have no idea what you're talking about

[@BlurBlizzard]

??? In the games they were ordered to eliminate all personnel on the Space Colony ARK during their raid. They literally had a firing squad recording Gerald's death. After killing a sick girl. They knew about the project shadow before they decided to get rid of any evidence that would trace back to them. Shadow's story is way more impactful because of the irony of his very creation causing the death of his loved ones.

[@Ando1428]

​@@BlurBlizzard yet Abe was able to make it to presidency and didn't immediately take revenge on guns responsible personel is criminal.

[@Still.the.best.2021]

The movie's kind of continues to be a bit heavier, especially considering that Maria was charred in this movie.

[@EpicKMetalSonic]

@@Still.the.best.2021 no it doesn’t. You’re in denial. Gerald’s madness in Sonic Adventure 2 alone is darker than anything the movie will ever throw at you. That and, do you know how explosions work? Her death was instantaneous. It’s a kid friendly movie, for god’s sake. Of course they wouldn’t show her burning to death. You’re stretching things to try and pretend the movie is darker when it isn’t.

[@notthecityhq7699]

I love SA2, but I really didn’t mind the changes to Shadow’s lore, in fact I think it worked for a Hollywood adaptation.

[@Boomblox5896]

Yeah, I agree. They somehow managed to thread that needle between staying true to the original and making adjustments for a new Hollywood universe. Somehow it works, and I like the way that it does.

[@THEonlyAEON]

I don't mind the changes, and they could still make Maria a sick child and have Shadow being researched for a cure, the only difference being that he was found and not created. The fact also that he was found inside a comet makes me think that he was sent there by the black arms, ala how saiyans in dbz are sent to planets to conquer them except in a comet and not a pod ship.

[@Boomblox5896]

@THEonlyAEON Yeah! The first thing I thought about when seeing that "meteor" was that it looked like the Black Comet!

[@lemonyanva1976]

He did use the gun tho, he just missed

[@jonathanhargraves2241]

Having him at least try to shoot Maria and missing is a great change, keeps things PG and we still got to her death. Only thing that's weird is how a 60 year old man survived that big of an explosion, but I don't mind it too much

[@SHADOWEMPERORB127]

@@jonathanhargraves2241 why would Shadow want to kill Maria? He literally tries to blow up the world because she died.

[@jonathanhargraves2241]

@@SHADOWEMPERORB127 Not Shadow, the GUN soldier tried to shoot Maria.

[@SHADOWEMPERORB127]

@@jonathanhargraves2241 the original comment was about Shadow’s gun

[@jonathanhargraves2241]

@@SHADOWEMPERORB127 My bad

[@Boomblox5896]

In terms of censorship, I think it did a fine job of balancing the need to stay loyal to the original material and adjusting to a movie audience and more importantly, a brand-new children's audience. The usage of "guns" in the movie was fine, albeit not so realistic since they're energy guns and not bullet-firing guns. The story surrounding Maria was fine, and I'm impressed at how they were able to re-write the backstory to fit this universe perfectly. Honestly, looking back on the decision to leave Rouge out of this one, it was probably a good call. Not only was she optional to the plot, but she was also a major "distraction" to the young boys who grew up seeing her in the original game. We need to bring in Amy and Cream before we decide to bring Rouge along, if they ever do. Amy and Cream would at least set the positive example forward first before we dig into the morally-grey design and personality of Rouge. And before you pitchfork me about morally-grey Shadow, yes I know he's a bit of a villain/antihero, but he has a sympathetic backstory. Rouge does not.

[@joshrobins130]

If I was a betting man (and I am, it's a serious problem), my guess is that they might start dabbling with some of the other threats from Sonic since Robotnik got his send-off. The Black Arms seem like a good choice to bring in as the next possibly overarching threat after Metal Sonic along with Black Doom. Chaos seems more like something to save for kinda the tail end given his nature.

[@Dankboi68]

GIVE IT UP FOR MY BOY STONE [Insert Agent Stone fan cam]

[@stoopidguy4544]

I was honestly expecting the credits scene to be related to the Black Arms, since it would make sense if they want to bring back Shadow and also show how he's progressed since the end of the 3rd movie, though I guess it would make it a Shadow focused movie right after the other

[@riahlexington]

I want to see Mephiles

[@zakariaradoine625]

I read that in Mr satan's voice

[@ashleighchance9420]

The fact that Shadow who's voiced by Keanu never says "I'm gonna need a gun" was a waste.

[@Attaxalotl]

Shadow did use a gun! During the bike chase, he fires a few blasts from that pulse pistol at Sonic before it's knocked out of his hand.

[@DriverNeku]

I watched Sonic 3 and I swear I've saw nothing but Sonic on my recommended for the past day or two, Sonic so peak... I'm familiar with how Maria did die, but I don't think they would've gotten away with showing a child getting turned into a honey comb on screen 💀

[@davidmandel8960]

The only problem I saw in this movie was: Why in the living hell was a literal CHILD in a MILITARY BASE??? It makes sense in the games’ lore bc it’s in the ARK and its low gravity helps to treat her NIDS, but this military base wasn’t in space and Maria wasn’t sick, and if it’s an orphan situation then she could have lived with her uncle, as in Eggman’s dad, instead of a military base where the government researched living weapons

[@misschief8957]

According to a bg soldier, her grandfather takes her anywhere with him-- including his lab in space apparently

[@dimitriwarchief301]

…….. Bring your child to work month?

[@nabman11]

It was as good as a representation of Shadow Paramount could get with an American PG rating. Although if Shadow ever makes a return, I think Paramount will have enough courage to make a PG-13 representation like Sonic 3 was rumoured to be.

[@arthurpprado]

One thing I've found really interesting about this movie is how they adapted Shadow's origin. It would have painted Gerald in a more sympathetic light if Shadow were his brainchild like in the games, but I think his relationship with Shadow being more cold and professional really works out for this movie, as Gerald has no emotional attachment to Shadow and thus, leaves no room for Shadow to reach out to him and try to change his mind. Also, I couldn't help but notice that Shadow fell onto Earth on a mini version of the Black Comet. I know the movies will probably never address his ties to the Black Arms, but it's a neat reference to his alien origins in the games

[@jakubgodyn7413]

In this universe, Robotnik was an orphan. He says so in the first movie. And they stick to it in this movie. At the same time, they seem to retcon GUN as the 2nd movie says that it was recently created after the events of the first movie and in this one, it is shown that they were around for over 50 years.

[@ice_popzz6623]

When you think about it they censored a lot, shadow has a laser gun, no biolizard probably because of budget but it could also be censoring, no Gerald execution, no actual guns, Maria doesn’t have illness, shadow never says damn

[@ice_popzz6623]

Because when you think about it, in sa2 they killed the biolizard so they probably wouldn’t show that, I think it’s lame like I don’t see why kids can’t handle guns

[@howdoknow]

It was already weird enough giving shadow a gun knowing his character I’m glad they limited it shadow honestly doesn’t need it in the first place

[@citysprites]

as someone who has genuinely never seen a single piece of media about sonic (unless you count sonic.exe game videos LMAO???) this does make me want to watch them.

[@AutumnJDiaz]

You should I love them

[@Izzyisneon]

the funny hedgehog is cool i promise

[@ShadwSonic]

I _am_ interested in seeing how Amy is treated (she's only ever really had "loves Sonic" as a character trait in the games, minus the games where she just... didn't have any), so it would be nice to see something more fleshed out. But what I'm really interested in is Metal Sonic. Who made him since Eggman is gone? Why is he going after Sonic like this? And most importantly, why are there _dozens_ of him?! That's only ever happened in alternate continuities, and every time it's been a major arc in them!

[@jondobbsart]

This was a thoughtful video, thanks for sharing your perspective. I really dug the movie and I'm thrilled that it seems like a new generation of kids are being introduced to these characters and their themes through the movies.

[@Persona2-hw3ch]

Gerald was pretty good in the movie but I feel like it would be much better if they showed that he was a good person before Maria's death like the games. That he wasn't an over-the-top cartoonishly evil villain, that didn't meant any harm and wanted to help Maria and humanity. I think that's what made him such an impactful character in SA2

[@Gangster88232]

Shadow could be little bit John Wicked because of Keanu Reeves. Therefore he can use guns in the future to some extent.

[@zuwenakelley2079]

I understand why the Sonic movies are seen as good. The 3rd movie did handle the characters better than many Sonic games, and you nailed pretty much all the places where this movie rocked on the head. However, I have to point out one of the flaws that all of the movies had. They don't balance all the characters well. What I mean is that they show all the emotional parts of the characters but none of the other parts. We've barely seen Sonic make a snarky joke or Knuckles' gentle side. Thankfully these are the only two characters that really suffer from it. As you said, Robotnik has been shown as comic relief, a formidable villain, and an emotional person. And they're also good at showing that even though Tails gets scared sometimes, he can still be a very confident person. But I feel like they haven't fully done Sonic and Knuckles justice. In the 90s, Sonic was a character that usually tried to hide his pain with optimism and his fear with anger. But that's all gone in the Sonic movies. Sonic's characterization in the movies has its moments, but am I the only one who thinks its very compelling when a character's hidden doubts and emotions are unearthed as they realize the truth? And because they don't show Knuckles' gentle side, I feel like it makes Sonic and Knuckles' relationship not as cool. I'm not sure if this is a clear way of saying it, but Sonic is Knuckles' friend, but Knuckles isn't Sonic's friend. We don't really see Knuckles picking Sonic up when he's down. In older Sonic media, they consistently show the gentle side of Knuckles by having him reach out his hand to people. In SA2, he grabs Rouge's hand to save her from falling, and in Sonic Origins, if I'm not mistaken, Knuckles offers his hand when Sonic has fallen on the ground. It would be so cool to see Knuckles do something like this in a Sonic movie! Hopefully in the 4th movie 🥺

[@bloomins8088]

Awesome comment. I can definitely see where you are coming from on the characterization. At least for Knuckles, I did get a little bit of the "softer" feeling of him when he backed down and cooled off during their argument. It's not much, very subtle, but i saw a nice maturity and trust there. It's definitely not much, though.

[@zuwenakelley2079]

@bloomins8088 I agree that part was my favorite part of Sonic 3.

[@pizzatime3752]

I personally saw the “hiding fear with anger” and “hiding pain with optimism” parts of Sonic in the movie- only reversed. At his most painful, he became incredibly angry, enough to go get the Master Emerald, which in this universe, is a HUGE deal. As for his optimism, he sure has a lot of it during scary, end-of-the-world fights. Also, while he wasn’t quipping every 2 seconds, there were still plenty of stuff, like calling Shadow “hot topic” and commenting on his highlights, as well as messing with Eggman (only seen the movie once so I don’t remember everything!). I thought it was fairly well-done for being the type of movie it was.

[@zuwenakelley2079]

@pizzatime3752 Well, it was well done, considering the first Sonic movie came out at a time when Sonic's character was at its crappiest in the games. I appreciate that they made him a good character, even though he isn't exactly accurate to older Sonic media.

[@jessiebell6884]

Well, he did use the gun, it just wasn't an actual gun. It was a totally nonviolent and kid-friendly laser gun that shoots hyper-concentrated bolts of energy that would sear a hole right through a normal person and cook their insides. Completely different.

[@Fizzsama]

This is a phenomenal video, and I commend you for taking the time to dive into this topic with such gravitas. Instant sub!

[@AutumnJDiaz]

Thanks so much! I’m an English major, it’s what I do. I’m really happy you enjoy it!

[@keziha5315]

as a girl growing up I didn't like amy but i'm hoping to like her in sonic 4

[@LarryHayward-v7p]

SONIC 3 IS SO PEAK CINEMA FOR EVERYONE💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥

[@Mecha_Madness]

He used a Blaster pistol, which is probably better than an actual firearm when it comes to showing weapons to younger children

[@cnett486]

13:18 Just want to throw it out there, I've been playing the games since I was 9 and I've always been a fan of Amy. I'm super hyped to have her and Metal Sonic. Trust me, lots of male fans love Amy.

[@furrycheetah]

Even they censor it but we are still seeing it in reality

[@shadowking2048]

You should mix the music audio a little quieter. It was kinda hard to hear you talking over it. Otherwise good video.

[@lasercraft32]

Its honestly a huge cop out having the gun shoot Star Wars style blaster bolts instead of ACTUAL BULLETS... And they didn't shoot Maria directly either. Why is this movie trying to make the story more "kid friendly" than the actual game? (y'know, the game made for KIDS?). There's always a catch... As great as this movie is, it just feels like they didn't take Shadow's story as seriously as they should have. If kids could handle it back in 2001 they should be able to handle it on the big screen. Children can handle deeper and darker themes than people give them credit for, and I don't understand why our society hasn't figured it out yet. :/ Also, somewhat unrelated, but why did they write out Maria's illness? Any disability representation she once had is gone, and she's just a "normal" girl. It just lessens the emotional impact, and it kinda bothers me.

[@obd9660]

Sonic is actually made for everyone, not just kids. Naoto Ohshima (via the 2018 post mortem gaming panel) and Al Nilsen (via an episode of the Sega Ages podcast) said so.

[@kamenrideraquarius]

Pretty sure all those gun soldiers shadow took down died he hit them at super speed in center mass

[@coreybookman5823]

Are you telling me pretzel lady wasn’t good enough! Jk jk I’m excited for Amy as well

[@devlinmcguire7543]

Three things I really didn't like was... #1 the scene where the humans broke into a high security military base with _power_ of "angry fat black woman is angry and hungry". Really didn't like that and wish they would have had them like subdue someone and steal their cloaths or face or something. #2 I HATED the Robotnik vs. Eggman fight being so goofy. They're the villains of the story, they absolutely should have had more menace or seriousness at least in their fight scene. But instead we just got another slapstick gag skit with "jim carrie" rather than the characters. Very disappointing approach. No.. actually, just very disappointing in general. Especially after the strong words that came right before like "You're no Maria...." And when Eggman thought he was about to be sucked out into the vacuum of space he just cracked a joke. #3 Another thing is, I almost felt uncomfortable with how close Jim Carrie was with.... uh... himself. It was a bit off-putting. Not a huge deal, but still. It detracted from the movie.

[@Trone2]

I'm so sorry but i need to critique your video. Please turn down the volume of music you used, I really like the points you gave and the perspective you had for the film but I don't want rock music to cover your voice to hide your thoughts about the film. also, my left headphone is louder than my right, so either the Microphone was setup wrong or misplaced while speaking. If your using Audacity you can easily fix it. (unless you've only got 1 earbud) Otherwise it's a good video, and i hope you're able to have fun making videos about the things you like. Keep being awesome!

[@AutumnJDiaz]

Sorry I made this in a weekend and didn’t have my microphone. Thanks for your comment!

[@roux6715]

nah the music is at a good volume imo you can bear everything clearly

[@righteousrawb7225]

Great review

[@Coolio_Ash]

Shadows film backstory really takes away a lot of his themes with identity imo. He didnt need to be an alien, he was created by gerald and him being a creation to be the ultimate life form... Its a part of his identity struggle in the games. Also... Nothing about shadows promise to maria. That was a big disappointment. It just felt weird that they changed some of this stuff.

[@Coolio_Ash]

It gives me vibes of "the producers thought kids are dumb"

[@Coolio_Ash]

This part is just a nitpick for me: sonic said the "talk about cheap flights" line and you DONT GET TO SAY THAT UNLESS YOURE GONNA RIP A PANEL OFF OF THE HELICOPTER AND SKATE THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO

[@beck_gaming1243]

Okay but Shadow is also an alien in the games

[@eeveefan132]

Shadow is canonically an alien in the games. He was made with alien DNA.

[@PauloH100]

​@@beck_gaming1243He only has Alien DNA, but he didn't come from space to Earth. He was created by people, that's the whole point.

[@HomieN09]

Bruh

[@Clambamthankyoumam]

Shadow had a gun during the video game series since his debut in 2001 since the Dreamcast released Sonic Adventure 2 however in the movie, he used it to shoot at Sonic if only for a few moments just to throw it away shortly after all within about five seconds of the chase scene between Sonic and Shadow. Sonic 3 is peak video game cinema and hands down the best of the trilogy! #Sonic3 #GottaGoFast #LiveAndLearn #TheFastestThingAlive #TheNeedForSpeed 🥚🦔💙🧡❤️🖤

[@PapzNSwayz]

This is a family movie... second this movie is based on SA2 and Shadow the hedgehog the Game... Why are you tripping that Shadow having a gun. Instead of ranting on youtube to get views. Direct your complaints to the original creator, Sega, and movie devs. The movie is peak and also cannon.

[@ravaniphoenix5431]

It's not canon.

[@howdoknow]

The movies aren’t canon